Mark Ingram

After two quiet seasons that had the football world questioning Ingram's ability to live up to his 2011 first-round selection, he looked great in limited action last year despite missing five weeks to...

Ingram had 13 carries for 38 rushing yards and a touchdown, as well as two catches on three targets for 24 receiving yards during Sunday's loss to the Falcons, which eliminated the Saints from playoff contention.

Even with Khiry Robinson (forearm) back in the fold, Ingram is unlikely to yield much, if any, reps out of New Orleans' backfield. Ingram will aim to exploit a Carolina defense that has surrendered 136 total yards per game and 14 touchdowns to running backs this season.

Ingram's previous limited practice occurred following a 27-carry, 120-yard performance against the 49ers in Week 10, which is understandable considering the hard-hitting affair that he endured. After splitting running back reps with Pierre Thomas in Week 12, Ingram again dominated the Saints' ground game this past Sunday in Pittsburgh, rushing 23 times for 122 yards. As long as Ingram handles the bulk of the RB workload, the occasional capped practice can be expected, but owners should continue to watch his status closely to make sure he's poised for active status once game day arrives.

11/30/2014

Ingram (shoulder) had 23 carries for 122 yards Sunday against the Steelers.

Ingram got off to a slow start in his second season, perhaps the result of an arthroscopic knee procedure he had in May, 2012, but the physical, 5-9, 215-pound back regained the lead role late in the year and closed with 4.2 YPC and four touchdowns over his final seven games. Moreover, after missing six games as a rookie, the former Heisman trophy winner played a full 16-game slate last season.
Only 23, Ingram could still emerge as a workhorse should the Saints ever move away from a committee backfield. Oddly, for the second year in a row, Ingram saw far fewer snaps than Darren Sproles or Pierre Thomas, yet received more carries than either and led the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
In addition to sharing touches, Ingram's other problem is the Saints' penchant for passing in the red zone. They ranked ninth with 142 red-zone plays, but 27th with just 44 red-zone rushes. Until his committee situation in a pass-first offense changes, Ingram's ceiling will be modest.

2012

Ingram had a disappointing rookie campaign, totaling just 520 yards while missing six games due to injuries. Curiously, he received the same amount of goal-line carries (three) as Darren Sproles. Despite seeing 181 fewer snaps than Pierre Thomas and 282 fewer than Sproles, Ingram was given more rushing attempts than both, so he was utilized heavily when on the field. Ingramís year ended prematurely when he had surgery to repair a turf toe injury, and discouragingly, he also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in May, the second time in three years his left knee has been repaired. It wasnít major surgery and is expected to keep him out only six weeks, but Ingram might not be 100 percent healthy for the start of training camp. Another variable is how New Orleans doles out carries with Sean Payton suspended for 2012. If the team ditches its past committee approach, and Ingram emerges as the lead back in such a potent offense, big production could follow.

2011

The Saints traded up to draft Ingram with the No. 28 pick, and as a result, he looks like the favorite to lead the team in carries in 2011. After winning the Heisman trophy in 2009, Ingram battled injuries during his junior season last year, though he still managed to total 14 touchdowns on limited carries in 10 games. Not overly fast or super athletic, Ingram is a hard runner often compared to Emmitt Smith. Of course, expecting similar production would be foolish, even in the leagueís No. 1 offense for two of the last three years. While the Saints should provide plenty of scoring opportunities, trusting coach Sean Payton is another thing, as heís unpredictable when it comes to distributing carries. Pierre Thomas seemingly canít stay healthy, but heís a more than capable back when on the field, and last yearís team rushing leader Chris Ivory will also be in the mix. Another committee could easily emerge, but if Ingram somehow becomes a feature back in this offense (he only averaged 15.9 carries per game in college), thereís a lot of upside. Thereís some concern about the degenerative arthritis in Ingramís knee, but Dr. James Andrews recently gave him a full clean bill of health.